Welcome to the Michigan Partnership for Animal Welfare!

MPAW provides individuals working for animals with an opportunity to learn, share their knowledge, and collaborate on statewide initiatives. Together we give animals in Michigan a stronger voice and a better chance.

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS: Jodi Buckman, Senior Director of Community Outreach for the ASPCA at the upcoming (and fast-filling) Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference on October 19-20 in Battle Creek, Michigan. Jodi will be speaking on two critical topics of concern to folks in animal shelters and rescue groups: animals who are hard to adopt AND how best to promote adoptable animals.

First up is “Many Shades of Gray: Difficult to Place Animals” When leaders from across the country gathered at the Adoption Forum III to discuss difficult-to-place (DTP) animals, it was clear that even the simplest question, “how do we define DTP?” would be a challenge. In this workshop, we’ll share tools developed during the Forum that embrace the complexity of this issue and can be used by communities to revisit their understanding of what DTP means, especially when seeking opportunities to save more lives.

Her second talk will be “Free to Good Home (and other Great Ideas!)” When adoption programs are working well, our shelters are just a brief stop for animals on their way to a new home. In this workshop, we’ll explore a variety of strategies and promotions animal shelters are using to get pets into new homes quickly, including the use of fee-waived adoption and mega adoption events.

Jodi is a Senior Director of Community Outreach for the ASPCA (which is Gold Sponsor of the 2015 Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference). She works directly with the Senior Vice President of Community Outreach on special projects and as a policy advisor. On behalf of the ASPCA, Jodi also works in partnership with other national organizations. Her service to national partners includes working closely with the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators as Chair of the Certification Council, the National Federation of Humane Societies as Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Board, and Shelter Animals Count, where she serves as Chair of the Board. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofit animal welfare and protection, she’s served as an Executive Director for shelters in Maine, Minnesota and Ohio, and worked nationally for the American Humane Association as their Director of Animal Programs. Jodi’s focus and expertise is in board and organizational development, strategic planning and nonprofit administration. She achieved the Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) designation in 2006. Register for this fabulous regional event today (before prices go up) at: https://www.messageblocks.com/mpaw-maaco-great-lakes-animal-welfare-conference

ANIMALS AS EVIDENCE will be the topic of a talk by Michigan Humane Society’s Chief Cruelty Investigator Deborah MacDonald at this fall’s Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan. “In order to be successful in preparing and prosecuting animal cruelty cases, it is necessary to understand the importance of handling animals as evidence,” Debby explains. Her presentation will cover methods for processing animals on scene and at a facility, and problems associated with long term holding while cases are adjudicated to include behavior, medical, and security concerns and animal disposition (outcome).

VETERINARY FORENSICS is a HOT topic in shelter medicine these days! If your agency gets involved in animal cruelty investigations, then be sure to alert your consulting veterinarians and cruelty investigators that Dr. Rachel Touroo, DVM, ASPCA Director of Veterinary Forensics will be presenting two fascinating sessions at the upcoming Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, on the first day of the two-day event (Oct. 19-20, 2015). Sign up today for this fabulous conference at http://michiganpaw.org/training-conference/ Early-bird rates apply through September 8: after that, the price goes up!

General Summary:
The Animal Control Director reporting to the County Controller/Administrator or his/her designee has the primary responsibility for managing and administering the County’s entire Animal Control Program. In this capacity, the individual shall manage a group of employees engaged in the enforcement of State and County laws, be responsible for assuring that a licensed veterinarian is on call and frequently visits the Animal Control Shelter, advise and consult with other County and State officials and concerned citizens with regard to animal and disease control, and must maintain effective working relationships with the public and local officials as related to the operation of the Animal Control Department. Read more →

Prior to running the Humane Wildlife Services program for The HSUS, John Griffin founded A.C.E. Wildlife Services to provide hands-on humane solutions to conflicts between humans and wildlife. Backed by a degree in biology and graduate work in conservation biology and environmental policy, John has over 20 years of experience working with wildlife in the field and more than a decade’s worth of experience working on solutions to wildlife conflicts with a focus on those that occur in urbanized areas. His presentation provides a comprehensive overview of wildlife in urbanized areas including their relevant natural history and how they operate in cities and towns using the food and shelter we provide. Using examples and video from the field, John’s workshop will provide front-line agencies and personnel the information needed to effectively identify, respond, and resolve wildlife conflicts.

As President & CEO of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA), an association of senior leaders in animal welfare organizations and others very close to the field, Jim Tedford knows full well how the success of an organization is dependent upon having a solid governing body at its foundation. Jim holds a degree in animal science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and has served as a consultant on not-for-profit management, strategic planning and organizational development. Jim will help you identify the proper roles and responsibilities for members of your board…and what to do when lines between board and staff get blurry (or even crossed).
Online conference registration is open at:

What a great session to be presented at the upcoming 2015 Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, this fall! CJ Bentley’s talk will be on Tuesday, October 20, the second day of the two-day event. Always an entertaining and educational speaker, CJ is the Senior Director of Operations for the Michigan Humane Society. She is an animal behavior expert who routinely appears in local media and has helped launch, develop and manage many innovative pet behavior and training programs, including Pawsitive Start, within MHS. CJ is the past executive director and current member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

Join us at the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference on October 19th in Battle Creek, Michigan, for Dr. Brittany Watson Tisa’s presentation on the Veterinary Science Initiative: Effectively Using Humane Education. Registration is open NOW for the 2-day conference on the Training page at www.mpaw.org Learn about the latest research in producing changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in your community and how this can be used to the benefit of all your shelter programs. Topics will include: an overview of the Veterinary Science Initiative program, dissertation research results, and what this means for how the field of shelter medicine approaches humane education and community outreach.

Dr. Brittany Watson Tisa is the Director of Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She currently manages surgical training for all soft tissue rotation students, shelter medicine rotations and courses, and community outreach initiatives. She was previously the Veterinary Director of Continuing Education Initiatives at Charleston Animal Society. During her time at CAS, she worked with the education department to develop the veterinary camp curriculum, Shadowing at the Shelter program, and VSI: Veterinary Science Initiative. She graduated in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine and in 2013 with her PhD in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina. Her dissertation focused on evidence-based humane education programs and proving changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

2014 MPAW Bright Ideas winner at the fall conference in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, receive their awards. Each representative also received a full scholarship to the conference.

Call for MPAW 2015 Bright Ideas Awards nominations! If you know of an animal agency that has come up with a great new program, fundraiser, building improvement, or lifesaving approach, NOW is the time to nominate them for the recognition they deserve! Simply email info@michiganpaw.org with a description of the Bright Idea in 500 words or less no later than August 24 at midnight. Include how the idea has helped animals. The top five Bright Ideas will win a scholarship to the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, on Oct. 19-20. The organization will also be invited to present their Bright Idea at a special session at the conference. Organizations nominated must be from the Great Lakes region: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Canada. All nominations must include nominated organization contact information. Winners will be notified by Friday, August 28.

The beautiful new FireKeepers Casino will host the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in 2015.

Are you hoping to attend the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, this fall but feeling short of funds? While the conference is a steal at just $150 for the full two days (including all meals, sessions, networking, trade show, and materials) we understand that budgets are tight! Luckily we have secured underwriting to fund a number of scholarships from the Kenneth A. Scott Charicable Trust, a KeyBank Trust; the National Animal Control Association (NACA); Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine; and the ASPCA. A few of the scholarships have restrictions (animal control officers, veterinary students, etc.) but most are open to all attendees. While these scholarships do not cover lodging or travel, they DO cover full conference registration. Deadline to apply is Monday, August 24, 2015. Winners will be notified by August 27, 2015, well before the early-bird reduced-price registration cut-off of September 8, 2015. APPLY HERE!